Cost to replace roof in Chicago: 2023 spending
Chicago owners paid a median $12,500 for roofing work: $2,500 above the U.S. median, fifth-highest of 15 big metros (Census Bureau, 2023).
What Chicago owners paid
$12,500
This is historical spending: work done in about 2021 to 2023 on owner-occupied homes, reported in the 2023 survey.
Margin of error ±$1,208: at 90% confidence the Chicago median lies between $11,292 and $13,708.
How Chicago compares
- U.S. median, same work
- $10,000
- Rank, highest first
- 5 of 15
Chicago: $12,500. Between the lowest and highest big-metro medians.
What it covers
Every roofing job owners reported, all roof sizes and materials together: a small roof costs less, a large or steep one more.
The Census category is “Roofing” within “Exterior Additions and Replacements”: what Chicago-area homeowners told the Census Bureau they paid, every size of job together.
Before you compare quotes
If your quote is well above $12,500, ask what is in it that the typical job is not. Are tear-off, decking repairs, flashing and disposal included?
Check the roofer’s licence
Illinois licenses roofing contractors; the licence number starts with 104 and must appear on the contract. Check it with the state. Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: license look-up (checked 2026-10-07).
Measure your job with the material calculator. Then put the quotes in the matching quote worksheet to see each one's scope beside its price.